Dear Mary,

I originally thought that to write a note of thanks to you via Email would have been a little ungracious and intended to resort to pen and paper.  However, it’s a proverbial pain in the rear-end to find an envelope that fits the paper these days and it would have taken me an age to make it presentable anyway so I’ve set it down as an attachment that I hope you can open.

Pamela and I truly enjoyed every moment with you at Balamma Satram and that couldn’t have been possible were it not for the effort you went to personally, to ensure our stay was as comfortable as it was.  We never anticipated the luxury of a familiar breakfast, nor chips on the lunch menu, nor indeed, tasty pancakes done to such perfection.  The real benefit of our seats on the flight, the lounge beforehand with something to eat in peace; these are all small things that are due entirely to your experience and were most welcome when all’s said and done.

Despite the lack of Western amenities that we take so much for granted here at home, the provision and forethought you made possible was really appreciated very much and we are very grateful Mary.

To have met and been with Fr. Sarveswara in Balamma Satram was to us, a great privilege.  We both concur with your view that as a Catholic priest, he’s as close to following in Christ’s footsteps as anyone we’ve known.  I’m not saying there aren’t men and women just like him but his example and dedication, and yours too Mary, have made a deep impression upon us.  Neither of us are spring chickens and we have seen dire poverty before but to challenge it, to resist it, to defeat it, albeit in such a modest way as you both have, is wonderful.  As I mentioned during our stay;  Pam is a convert to Catholicism and to her, Fr. Sarveswara virtually represents what a saint would be if we ever knew we were stood beside one.  That can only have been due to his way of expressing his faith by the work he does. 

In conclusion Mary, I can only thank you again for such a warm and spiritual time that has made us think more, perhaps will make us do more and hope another step to Heaven will be the reward for us both.

Many, many thanks

Sincerely, Bill